Sautéed Green Beans With Lemon & Garlic

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Sautéed Green Beans with garlic and lemon are a simple, but all-round delicious side dish.

Why You Need Sauteed Green Beans in Your Side Dish Repertoire

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• These green beans go with everything! These beans are a perfect accompaniment for chicken, (try Marry Me Chicken, or Lemon Herb Grilled Chicken Thighs) pork, (how about Grilled Pork Tenderloin or Pork Chops with Apples & Onions) fish, (especially Spiced Baked Salmon Pomegranate Raita or beef.
• Sauteed green beans are quick and easy to make. Just five minutes of prep and five minutes of cook time, and they are ready to serve.
• Only five ingredients: besides olive oil, garlic and lemon, plus salt and an optional pinch of red pepper flakes are all that's needed to elevate the freshness of these green beans.
• Green beans are nutritious. They're high in fibre, low in calories, and rich sources of vitamins A, C & K, along with a host of other vitamins and minerals.
• Everybody likes them. Green beans, especially when they are quickly sauteed in garlic and lemon, are liked by almost everyone, even kids!
• Cooking green beans this way means they are low carb, gluten and dairy-free. 

 

 

Here's What You Need To Make Simple Sauteed Green Beans

Green Beans

Choose bright green beans that you can easily snap when you bend them. Try to choose beans of similar sizes for uniform cooking time.

Olive Oil

Extra virgin olive oil has a low smoke point, so normally we wouldn't want to use it for pan-frying or stir-frying. However, because the sauté time for these green beans is very short, I think it's worth it for the flavour that it brings. But, go ahead and use any oil that you have on hand.

Garlic

You can use fresh garlic, or you can use pre-minced jarred garlic, which is super convenient. If you don't have either, you can use ¼ tsp of garlic powder, sprinkled on in place of the minced garlic.

Lemon

Nothing beats fresh lemon juice, so use it if you possibly can. In a recipe as simple as this one, every flavour stands out, so this is not the best place for bottled lemon juice.

Red Pepper Flakes

The red pepper flakes are entirely optional. The amount in the recipe doesn't really add any heat, but it does brighten up the flavour. Omit it if you prefer, or, on the other hand, amp it up if spice is your thing.

How To Make Sauteed Green Beans Step By Step

It couldn't be any simpler to make this delicious side dish:

1. Trim beans
2. Bring water to a boil in a saute pan or skillet.
3. Blanch beans in boiling water for three minutes.
4. Drain beans, and heat the oil in the same pan.
5. Add green beans, and sautee in the hot oil for about one minute
6. Add garlic, red pepper flakes, and salt to the pan.
7. Sautee for one more minute.
8. Remove from heat and squeeze with lemon juice, tossing to combine.
9. Serve!

Tips For Perfect Tender-Crisp Green Beans

• Trim the knobby, stem ends of the beans before cooking. To trim, line up a pile of beans facing in the same direction, then using a chef's knife, slice the ends from all of the beans at once. No need to cut the tapered ends.
• The key to perfect tender-crisp string beans is timing. Be very careful not to overcook or the beans will turn mushy and grey.
• You can use frozen green beans. Just skip the blanching (steps 2,3,&4) and sautee them straight from frozen.
• Add other vegetables to the pan and sautee them first before adding the beans. Our favourites are mushrooms and red bell pepper strips

More Side Dish Ideas

Dinner isn't dinner without great sides! More delicious sides to check out:

• Sautéed Beet Greens Recipe
• Cabbage Stir-Fry
• Cauliflower Fried Rice
• Parsnip Puree
• Mashed Roasted Butternut Squash